Peering through the thicket: Effects of UAV LiDAR scanner settings and flight planning on canopy volume discovery

Overview & Synopsis

Unoccupied aerial vehicle laser scanning (UAV-LS) has been increasingly used for forest structure assessment in recent years due to the potential to directly estimate individual tree attributes and availability of commercial solutions. However, standardised procedures for campaign planning are still largely missing. This study investigated scanner properties and flight planning to provide recommendations on minimising forest canopy occlusion and thereby maximise exploration of canopy volume. A flight campaign involving two UAV-LS systems was conducted over a dense, wet tropical forest at the Paracou research station (French Guiana). Four experiments on scanner properties and flight planning were conducted, analysed and recommendations derived. First, the scanner pulse repetition rate (PRR) should be at least 100 kHz per 1 m s −1 flight speed based on 360°F OV for exploration of middle canopy strata (5 m to 20 m). Higher PRR are beneficial for exploration of lower canopy (